Telephone-directory.



No. 763,093. PATENTED JUNE 21, 1904 F. BROWNS. TELEPHONE DIRECTORY. APYLIOATION FILED uk. 29. 1904.

N0 MODEL.

- UNITED STATEs iatented June Q 1, 1904.

FREDERICKDROWNS, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

TELEPHONE-DIRECTORY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 763,093, dated une 21, 1904. Application filed January 29, T904. Serial N; 191,111. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK DRowNs, of Maiden, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone-Directories, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for'its object to provide a directory adapted to surround the mouthpiece of a telephone and to detachably engage a series of name-strips or cards which when in place radiate from the mouthpiece and are adapted to be readily applied to and removed from the base or body of the directory, so that changes in names and. addresses can be conveniently made.

The invention consists in the improved directory which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

from the body of the directory. Fig. 6 represents a perspective view showing the improved directory applied to the mouthpiece of a telephone. Fig. 7 represents a perspective view of the'pointer shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 6 and the support for said pointer.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

1n the drawings, a represents a flat plate or body which is preferably of circular form and provided with a central orifice a of sufficient diameter to embrace the inner part of the mouthpiece I) of a telephone. The plate a is preferably made of suitably stifli cardboard or paper, although it may be of any other suitable construction, such as thin sheet metalaluminium, for eXample.

0 c 0 represent a series of tapering or sector-shaped name-strips or cards which are detachably secured to the plate a and radiate from the center thereof, the plate being provided with means for detachably engaging both the inner and outer end portions of the strips or cards 0. The preferred means for engaging the end portions of the cards are as follows:

d (Z d represent a circular series of slots formed in the plate-a in relatively close proximity to the margin of the orifice a, said slots 0? being hereinafter referred to as the inner slots.

e 0 represent a circular series of slots located in relatively close proximity to the outer edge or margin of the plate a, said slots beinglonger than the slots 61, being hereinafter referred to as the outer slots. The sector shaped name-strips 0 are formed so that their narrower ends can be inserted in the slots d and their wider ends in the slots 6, the entire series being closely arranged, so as to practically cover the surface of the plate a. When the strips 0 are thus inserted, they are securely held by friction between the edges of the several slots, so that they are retained in place on the sheet a and at the same time can be readily removed when the addresses upon them are obsolete, the spaces thus left vacant being extends across the outer portion of one of the strips 0, the outer end of the strip being passed through the slot 6', so that said outer end is located on the front side of the sheet a. The part constituting the cross-bar a is offset or pressed outwardly from the body of the plate a to enable the strip 0 to be conveniently passed under it. The material at the inner edges ofthe slots 03 .may also be offset or pressed outwardly to facilitate the insertion of the inner ends of the strips 0 in said slots. All of the described slots d, a, and e are staggered or offset from each otherthat is to to insure sufficient strength and also permit the close arrangement of the strips above referred to.

The central orifice a is preferably provided with a ring or bushing 9, having in its outer portion a peripheral groove '9', which receives 7 the inner margin of the plate athat is to say, the portion of said plate forming the boundary of the orifice a. The bushing g bears upon the mouthpiece Z) and suitably reinforces or strengthens the central portion of the plate, preventing the latter from being worn or indented by the mouthpiece.

it represents a pointer which is formed on or afiixed to a ring it, inserted in the groove 9. The ring 11' is revoluble in the groove g, so that it may be turned forward or back, and the pointer h projects outwardly over the inner end of one of the strips 0. The object of the pointer is to enable the user of a telephone to indicate the card of a subscriber to whom he desires to call and with whom he has been unable to make connection.

The front of the plate a and the cards 0 thereon may be protected against dust and dirt by a removable transparent annular cover '2', which may be made of celluloid or other formed integral with the flexible material of the shield 71, said ears being provided with socket members 6 adapted to yieldingly engage stud members i, afiixed to the plate a and projecting from the back thereof, the ears i being bent over the margin of the plate a.

The described directory furnishes in a convenient relation to the mouthpiece I) a large number of name-strips which may be readily changed as occasion may require. The card may be rotatable upon the mouthpiece & to bring any name into position to be conveniently read.

The card may be extended outwardly beyond the outer ends of the name-strips sufficiently to form an annular field to contain advertising matter.

I claim- 1. A directory comprising a plate having a central orifice, a circular series of short innerslots surrounding said orifice, and a circular series of relatively longer outer slots adjacent to the margin of the plate, said slots being arranged to receive the opposite end portions of a series of sector-shaped radiating name-strips or cards.

2. A directory comprising a plate havinga central orifice, a circular series of short inner slots surrounding said orifice and arranged to receive the inner ends of a series of radiallyarranged sector-shaped name-strips or cards, two circular series of outer slots longer than the inner slots and arranged to receive the outer ends of said strips, said slots forming the edges of loops or cross-pieces integral with the plate and extending across the outer portions of the name-strips.

3. A directory comprising a plate having a central orifice, a circular series of strip engaging inner slots, and a circular series of strip engaging outer slots, the slots of each series being staggered or offset, the inner slots being shorter than the outer slots to friction- ,ally engage sector-shaped strips.

4. A directorycomprising a plate having a central orifice, a series of name-strips radiating from said orifice, and a pointer freely revoluble about said orifice either forward or backward. I

5. A directory comprising a plate having a central orifice, a series of name-strips radiating from said orifice, an annular bushing surrounding said orifice and having a marginal groove receiving the margin of the orifice, and a ring rotatably engaged with said groove and provided with a pointer;

6. A directory comprising a plate having a central orifice, means for detachably connecting a series of radially-arranged name-strips or cards to said plate, a transparent shield or cover for said strips, and means for detachably securing said shield to the card. In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' FREDERICK DROWNS. Witnesses:

R. M. PIERSON, E.- BATCHILDE. 

